Professional Practice & Standards Update

As we enter a new year, I have spent time reflecting on where we have been and where we are headed. As an association we are here to represent, support, strengthen and resource the continually evolving profession. I am confident that we will continue to thrive as a profession and continue to have a pivotal role in the healthcare sector and beyond. However, I believe we will have our work cut out for us in the coming years as we navigate more changes in a complex and rapidly evolving healthcare environment. In order to navigate the way ahead, the association’s role is to lead, advocate, represent and develop

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occupational therapy practice to ensure we continue to expand and thrive as a profession. This is best achieved when listening and learning from our members, the sector and the community to deepen our understanding of the ever-changing landscape.

By looking both to the profession and at external influences we are able to assess the strategic opportunities and issues ahead of us. In doing so, take a proactive approach to influencing our future and tackling current and emerging issues that affect our profession. Some of our core areas of focus over the next few years include a deep dive into the future of both mental health and aged care. As always, the scheme of importance and focus of much of our advocacy efforts remains the NDIS. We are mindful that changes to legislation, policy and practice will be on the cards in these areas of practice and we expect these changes will present challenges and opportunities for the profession.

As an association, we are well prepared for the future with professional practice advisors across these key areas of practice. Collaborating with members through our reference groups, taskforces and special interest groups, our team are well informed and well positioned to represent OTA’s professional interests, promote the reputation and profile of the profession, and influence change.

The coming year will see us focus on strengthening and developing the profession by underpinning our advocacy with a solid evidence base and by creating greater opportunities for professional development and support. We will be developing programs and resources in different modalities to ensure they are accessible and can be used flexibly by members. New programs are currently under development and include an online Supervision Training Program that responds to a need for training and development within the profession and to support the growing demand for supervision across diverse employment settings. The Private Practice Toolkit is a self-directed learning program to support occupational therapists to run efficient and effective private practices. The toolkit has been specifically developed to support and resource established private practitioners as well as practitioners transitioning to private practice. As we look to continue to support and develop the profession, we look to our membership to provide insights on their growing needs and interests, and we look forward to collaborating with you on this journey as we continue to evolve and grow.